The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) published a 2024 assessment of sustainable development progress in Africa. The report finds that only 6% of the 32 measurable SDG targets reviewed are on track to be achieved by 2030. Serving as an input to the July session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the report offers recommendations on how to accelerate progress and reverse negative trends.
The 2024 Africa Sustainable Development Report shares the theme with HLPF 2024: ‘Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.’ It focuses on the five Goals the HLPF reviewed this year – SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
The report acknowledges limited progress in some areas, including access to drinking water and basic sanitation services, climate action at the strategic policy level, and strengthening statistical systems. However, modest progress in poverty reduction has been offset by multiple crises in recent years, and social protection is inadequate in coverage, fragmented, and largely informal.
The continent is also facing an alarming increase in the number of people facing hunger, undernourishment, and stunting, with the number of people experiencing hunger having grown from 270.6 million in 2021 to 281.6 million in 2022. Meanwhile, investments in and official development assistance (ODA) to the agricultural sector decreased in most subregions.
While Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts and has the lowest per capita carbon emissions globally, financing climate action remains a challenge, according to the report. Africa needs USD 2.8 trillion between 2020 and 2030 – or USD 277 billion annually – to implement countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change. Yet, by 2020, total annual climate finance flows to Africa from domestic and foreign sources amounted to just USD 29.5 billion – 11% of the total need.
With regard to good governance, corruption and high illicit financial flows present major challenges in many African countries. The report estimates that in 2019, Africa was losing USD 88.6 billion, or 3.7% of its gross domestic product (GDP), annually in illicit financial flows.
In addition to inadequate domestic resource mobilization for sustainable development, insufficient ODA and foreign direct investment (FDI), and persistent debt distress, the report flags that data gaps remain in many countries, despite some progress.
Among its key recommendations, the report calls for:
- Scaled-up access to concessionary development financing;
- Forward-looking debt sustainability analyses;
- Comprehensive economic and institutional reforms to enhance efficiency and optimal use of resources;
- Strengthened climate information services and early warning systems; and
- Full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The report was launched on 16 July, during HLPF 2024 in New York, US. [Publication: 2024 Africa Sustainable Development Report] [Executive Summary] [Publication Landing Page] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Africa RFSD 2024] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2024 LAC Sustainable Development Report] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2024 Arab Region Sustainable Development Report] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2024 UNECE Region Sustainable Development Report] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2024 Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Report]